From our Pastor

Farewell Wishes to Fr. Kishore

Kathy Archdiocese, From our Pastor

 I want to thank Fr. Kishore for his assistance and for his ministry with us for the past two years. We were privileged to have him at least for two years.  His presence helped me in various ways, although being a pastor for two parishes I did not have to worry about too many things. He took care of most of the things including the Sacraments at St. Valentine. Being the Director of Religious Education program at St. Valentine he truly took his responsibilities seriously and did whatever was entrusted to his care. He met with parents whose children were preparing to receive the Sacraments, he met with children of those receiving Sacraments, and helped with the confessions at the School and the Religious Ed Students.

With his presence with us I could enjoy my vacation without worrying about both the parishes knowing for sure that things will be taken care of, and he did. He did so many baptisms, visited the sick, helped me with taking care of funerals, helped with the Sacrament of Penance and the list could go on. Knowing of the things that he has done here I am confident that he will be able to handle his big responsibility as Administrator of St. Michael the Archangel Parish and later on as its pastor. He is going to Monroe  with rich experiences of ministering in three different parishes. Let us assist him with our prayers.

On behalf of St. Valentine Parish I want to thank you Fr. Kishore for your presence amidst us and for all the help you gave me in my ministry.

I was blessed to have the assistance of both Fr. Henry and Fr. Kishore for 7 years. And now the real fun begins, if I think of all the things that I have to do by looking at the whole year it could be overwhelming so I will just take one day at a time and help minister to people of both the parishes as best as I can. I will need your help through prayers.

 CSA 2020: Theme: “Rise, Be Not Afraid”

 CSA SUNDAY AT PARISHES – the weekend of September 12/13 Weekend after Labor Day.

 This year the Archdiocese is going to handle all the mailings so you should  be receiving your CSA letters during the fourth week of August. The CSA goal has been reduced by 15% of its original goal, so the goal for St. Valentine is $39,100.00 

  With all that said what is also important is that you take care of yourself. So continue following the rules that we are all called to follow, social distancing, wearing masks, staying healthy. Let’s continue holding one another in our prayers.

Blessings on all,

Fr. Socorro

It is Hard to Say Good-bye

We really DO NOT want to see Father Kishore leave. And, we wish to let him know how much we care and will miss him! So, please join us on Sunday, July 26th after the 9:00 a.m. Mass in front of St. Valentine to say good-bye and enjoy a DONUT with him.       

Wanted: Football Heroes

St. Michael in Livonia is calling all 3rd  – 8th grade student athletes from surrounding parishes. To register for the Fall 2020 season follow this link:

https://church.livoniastmichael.org/apps/form/Sports-Registration-Fall2020

Registration is open from July 1 to July 31. We offer 3 football teams:

Freshman (Grades 3-4) Head Coach: Steve Goward

Junior Varsity (Grades 5-6) Head Coach: Brandon McCormick

Varsity (Grades 7-8) Head Coach: Mark Pelton

In order to proceed with having a team, a minimum roster size is required by  the July 31 deadline.

For questions, contact Bob Rowland, A.D. at 313-598-5350 or email

[email protected]

 

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Kathy From our Pastor

Today, we celebrate the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time. In our gospel Jesus describes the cost of discipleship. He describes the cost of discipleship by using three illustrations.

 Family—Division: The first illustration Jesus used is that of a person’s family. He says, “Whoever loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” (Mt 10:37) My dear friends, a person’s family is to be the strongest and most precious relationship among human beings. A person is to love his family as much as he loves any others on earth. However, there is one relationship that is to supersede his relationship with his family: that is his relationship to Jesus Christ. He is to love Christ Supremely, counting Him more worthy than all, even more worthy than his own family. There are at least three reasons why Christ is to be counted more worthy.

 1.  Christ is the Supreme Being of the universe. He is the Creator, Sustainer and Protector of life throughout the course of our walk on earth.

2.  Christ is the Supreme Savior. He is the Giver and Provider of life, both abundant and eternal life. Our families can bring some happiness and pleasure to our lives, and they can protect us to some degree in this life- but not ultimately.

3.  With Christ we have the supreme relationship. Christ is totally unselfish, and He loves perfectly.

The 2nd illustration Christ used is that of the cross. Christ again made a strong demand. “whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.” (Mt 10:38) Every man has his cross. The cross is the symbol of death and of execution. Every man must die to self – day by day. He must count himself dead to sin and follow Christ.

The 3rd illustration Jesus used is that of a person’s life. He says, “Whoever finds his life will lose it.” The phrase “finds his life” means that a person seeks his own pleasure and passions in life. It is a selfish life, finding out what pleases self and going after it. It is heaping and hoarding and doing as self wills. We live in a sinful and evil world: a world of pain and hurt, of starvation and disease, of crime and injury, greed and selfishness, of war and death. The one thing that is needed by all is to deny self: to commit and to lose our lives in Christ. “Whoever loses his life… will find it.” The phrase “loses his life” means that a person seeks to lose his life on this earth to find God. It means that a person gives up the right to order his own life, and he lets Christ control his life.

Questions to reflect on this beautiful Sunday: Is God the center of my life? Do I take up my cross and follow Christ? Do I empty myself to be filled by Christ?

Have a good week,

Fr. Kishore Babu Battu, SAC

Pentecost Sunday

Kathy From our Pastor

Today we celebrate ‘the Feast of the Pentecost,” with this Feast we come to the end of the Easter celebration. Now, the Feast of Pentecost was one of the most phenomenal and important events in all of history. There are several reasons why this event was so important.

 · It was “the coming of the Holy Spirit.”

· It was the birth of the Church.

· It was the corporate filling of the Holy Spirit, of the body of believers with the promised

      presence of Christ.                             

· It was the personal filling of the individual believer by the Holy Spirit.

· It was the Presence and Power of God coming upon the believers, gifting, and equipping them to proclaim the glorious message of salvation to men.

 

Above all the Feast of Pentecost was God’s providence. This Feast needs to be understood in order to see God’s providence at work. Pentecost was celebrated fifty days after the Passover. It was also known as the “Day of the First Fruits” (Num 28:26), or the “Feast of Weeks” (Ex 34:22), or the “Feast of Harvest.” Pentecost was a glorious day of celebration, a day when the people were to heap praise and thanksgiving upon God. There were three particular reasons for which they were to thank God.

1.The harvest of the fields. The very name of the Feast says it is a celebration of the “First Fruits.” It was celebrated when the first fruits of the harvest began to come in, which was around the first of June.

2.The Exodus, the deliverance of the nation Israel from Egyptian bondage (Dt.16:12). The people were to thank God for the day He delivered them out of slavery.

3. The giving of the law upon Mt. Sinai (Ex.19-20). This was the day the people were constituted as a nation, as the great nation of Israel. They were to live as God’s very own people upon earth. They were to thank God for Himself and for His law.

It is important for all of us to note that all three events were fulfilled in the coming of the Holy Spirit. When ‘the day of Pentecost came’ the first fruits were born- the church itself and the first harvest of souls. The new beginning that is, the filling of the Holy Spirit, began fifty days after Jesus’ death and resurrection. The coming of the Holy Spirit had a very specific purpose. The Holy Spirit was to live and work within the heart of man, to deliver and free him from the enslavements of this world- from sin, death, and hell. The coming of the Holy Spirit was the birth of the church, the new people of God.

 

New Assignment

Dear parishioners, I would like to inform, all of you that Our Archbishop Allen Vigneron has asked me to become the Administrator of St. Michael Parish, Monroe. I shall be moving to the new parish on August 1, 2020. It is not easy to leave all of you and move to a new place. I consider it as a plan of God. Let us continue to pray for each other during this pandemic. I shall thank all of you in my next article. 

 

God’s blessings and a Happy Feast of Pentecost.

Stay safe.

Fr. Kishore Babu Battu SAC